Virgil van Dijk highlighted his qualities when defending Alexis Mac Allister after his error for Liverpool against Brighton on Sunday afternoon.
In the end, the Reds had to settle for a draw at the Amex Stadium, with Lewis Dunk’s late equalizer for the hosts ensuring the spoils were shared at full time.
The match marked Mac Allister’s first return to Brighton since leaving the Seagulls to join Liverpool in the summer, although it was a game to forget for the 24-year-old.
He was responsible for Brighton’s first goal when he gave the ball away in the middle of the park before Simon Adingra produced a quick counter-attack.
VanDijk was asked about the incident after the final whistle and spoke like a true captain as he placed the blame on his teammate.
The Dutchman insisted it was also his fault for not preventing Brighton from scoring, with the Seagulls still needing to unlock Liverpool’s defense before they could get the ball into a shooting position.“Clearly it’s not just his fault, but also me,” Van Dijk told Sky Sports.
“It’s a risky ball and we try to play from the back. These things happen and you get punished. The way we recovered was a great response.
“Virgil van Dijk was quick to defend Alexis Mac Allister after his mistake against Brighton The Reds then fought back thanks to Mohamed Salah’s brace in the first half, giving the visitors the lead at half-time.
However, they failed to maintain their small lead, as Dunk headed home late to end Liverpool’s run of nine consecutive victories in all competitions.
Mac Allister was also asked what he thought of his initial mistake against his former club, with the Argentine midfielder telling BBC Sport: “We make mistakes, we’re footballers and things like that happen.
The most important thing is how you react and I think the team responded well.
